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Monthly Archives: March 2018

Scott Copeland is two years removed from his only stint in the big leagues.

This season will be critical in determining whether he’s able to get back.

The big 6-foot-3, 220 pound right-handed starter signed with the Somerset Patriots on Friday after spending last season in Triple-A with the Miami Marlins organization, and is anxious to get back on the mound.

“I’m excited,” he told MyCentralJersey.com via cellphone. “I’ve heard great things about the organization and the team, and great things about the coaches from some of the players I’ve played with. It’s going to be a fun, good experience.”

The 30-year-old has eight years of experience under his belt, including five appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2015. This will be his first foray in independent baseball, and he admits his knowledge heading into this wasn’t very good.

“I had to ask my buddies was the best league was and all that stuff,” he said. “Just kind of asking around, I know several guys I’ve played with have played in independent ball, but not necessarily in Somerset, and they got picked up or kind of went on with their lives.”

It was word of mouth that got Copeland to Somerset — he had a lengthy conversation this offseason with Jon Hunton that convinced him the Patriots were the team for him — and is looking to bring a sinkerball-heavy mix to the starting rotation this season.

“I’m going to get a lot of ground balls,” said Copeland, who also throws a slider, changeup, and curveball.

“Just try to attack the hitters, get early contact and have short innings so I can go longer in the game.”

Copeland isn’t far removed from being one of the top pitchers in the Triple-A International League — he was 11-6 with a 2.95 ERA in 2015 in 21 appearances with Buffalo and 3-4 with a 3.04 ERA in nine games the following year after returning from Korea — and is hopeful he’ll be able to find another opportunity after some time in the Atlantic League.

“If it’s international, it’s international. If it’s an organization, it’s an organization,” he said. “I just want to get out there and prove what I can still do what I’ve been doing over the past eight years.”

(PR) Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have signed Major League right-handed pitcher Scott Copeland for the 2018 season.

“I am excited to get started on this new opportunity,” said Copeland. “I can’t wait to come in and help this team compete for a championship. Somerset came really highly recommended, so I am excited to get to work.”

Copeland begins his first season with the Somerset Patriots and first in the Atlantic League. The 6’3” righty broke into the big leagues in 2015 with the Toronto Blue Jays. That year, Copeland went 1-1 over five games (three starts) with six strikeouts. He had gone 11-6 with a 2.95 ERA over 21 games (20 starts) for Triple-A Buffalo earlier that season to earn his promotion to the majors.

The Longview, Texas native began the 2016 season in Korea before he posted a 3.04 ERA over nine starts with Buffalo to end the season. He returned to the Triple-A level last year in New Orleans (Miami Marlins) where he was ranked among the Pacific Coast League leaders in multiple categories. Copeland led the league in starts (26), was tied for third in wins (9), fourth in strikeouts (118), and fifth in innings pitched (137.2).

“We are happy to be joined by Scott in our 2018 championship quest,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Scott will fit in very nicely here. He understands what we are about and wants to be a part of it. He will fulfill a vital need in our starting rotation, has a great idea of how to pitch and how to adapt to different league. Copeland will be a veteran presence on our staff that you can count on every five days to give the team a chance to win. He possesses the right attitude and work ethic and we are excited to team up with him.”

Copeland began his professional career in the Baltimore Orioles organization before joining the Blue Jays in 2013. He has pitched at the Triple-A level in each of the last four seasons with a 3.70 ERA. The University of Southern Mississippi alum owns 61 wins and a 4.15 ERA over his eight-year professional career.

The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, please visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

Ryan Kelly could have come back to Somerset looking and feeling the exact same way he did last year, and nobody would have said a word.

Why? There was nothing wrong with anything he did last year: 1-0 and a 2.00 ERA in ten games with 16 strikeouts in nine innings of work? Yes, off you go to the Seattle Mariners organization after less than a month with the team, hopefully never to be seen in Bridgewater again.

But that last part didn’t come true. Despite finding success in the Mariners farm system — he was 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA in 29 appearances between the Double-A and Triple-A levels — he once again found himself having to return to the Atlantic League.

Not that he wasn’t before, but…now? Ryan Kelly is as motivated as ever.

“2016 was a really weird year for me, so last year, the offseason was different. I was in Mexico and not getting signed, it was frustrating,” Kelly told MyCentralJersey.com via cellphone.

“I didn’t really get after it like I normally do, and I didn’t really put myself in the best position and best physical, peak shape that I should have been in. I was fortunate to still throw well last year, but it could have been different. I could have been throwing a little harder, or I could have been doing some things differently. This year, I really made it a point to try to put on a little bit of weight. I know that’s been an issue — I don’t know if that’s for scouts as much as it is for myself — with keeping weight on. No one wants to see a 175-pound guy out there pitching, it just isn’t very intimidating. Not that 185 is that much different, but every little bit counts. I wanted to get into good shape again, like I used to be, and try to max out as far as strength. Hopefully it adds a couple miles per hour on my fastball.”

Still only 30 years old, Kelly still finds himself as being a viable option to an organization looking for a veteran righty reliever with experience at the top levels. But, having to come back to begin with has led to some mixed emotions.

“Obviously, as a competitor, you want to be at the highest level possible, so there is a bit of frustration there when you don’t achieve those goals,” he said.

“But, at the same time, a place like Somerset is a great place to be. There’s a ton of talented guys there in that league – most of them are on Somerset’s team – and you saw our team last year and how we got dismantled in the first two months of the year – so, going back there, I’m excited. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into last year, but now I know, and it’s a good brand of baseball and a great organization to be a part of. The coaches are awesome, the front office is awesome, everybody there. I’m excited to go back.”

Perhaps, if this were a different year, Kelly wouldn’t have had to have gone back at all. But, with a glut of big-name free agents still unsigned at the big league level, the trickle-down effect is felt everywhere.

“I’ve had so many conversations with so many different guys, and it goes back to when you’re younger, those first couple years you’re playing, we call it playing GM; seeing where a guy is going to go out of spring training, and if this happens or this happens, I might be able to move up and so on,” Kelly said.

“So now, I’ve had so many conversations with guys about how confusing baseball is getting now. It’s no longer if a guy can pitch or can the guy hit, there’s so many other factors that play into the game. I understand it’s evolving and there’s reasons behind all of it, but at the same time it’s confusing for guys that have been in for ten-plus years where, all of a sudden, I find myself out of a job. Not necessarily me, but so many other guys that are in the same situation. You just don’t understand it. I can’t imagine how those guys at the big league level, guys with eight-plus years are feeling right now.

“Greg Holland, the guy has been a dominant reliever in the big leagues, he was on a World Series team. He had Tommy John, bounced back from it and threw the ball really well last year, he was one of the best closers in baseball for the first half of the year and he can’t get a job. It’s got to be frustrating for those guys, and it’s definitely pushed a lot of minor league guys back as well. It takes a lot of time for scouts and GM’s to go through all these big league guys, so it puts the little guy like myself pushed off to the side. I definitely think it’s affected me.”

So, how realistic are Kelly’s goals of getting picked by a major-league organization for a second straight year? Without question, very realistic. But what if it doesn’t happen? How will a guy who lasted three weeks deal with potentially having to spend an entire season here, unlikely as that may be?

“I don’t know how to go into this year, honestly,” he said.

“Last year, I wanted to get picked up, I wanted to get out. But I think that I enjoyed my time in Somerset so much last year — and yes, obviously you want that opportunity to get out — but at the same time, it’s such a good place to be, and it’s good baseball. At this point in my career, I want to have fun. I want to enjoy going out every day and being around a good group of guys and having fun playing baseball. If it happens, if I get picked up, I get picked up. But if I don’t, I think I’m really going to enjoy this year with Somerset.”

Already having found the right mindset, Kelly once again needs to find the right role. With one and as many as two players with big league and Atlantic League time coming to the bullpen over the next week or two, competition for innings amongst relievers will be hotly contested. Just where the former Atlanta Braves standout slots in remains to be seen.

“How I was used last year, towards my last couple outings, I think I was getting some save opportunities, and I think it’s going to be similar this year,” he said.

“It’s going to be a stacked bullpen, and there’s a lot of guys with experience and good stuff coming in. At the back end of the bullpen, it’s going to be pretty dang good. I’m not going in expecting anything. Whenever I get the ball, I’m going to pitch. We haven’t really talked about roles per se, other than I’ll be towards the back end of the bullpen.”

(PR) Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have re-signed Major League right-handed pitcher Ryan Kelly for the 2018 season.

“I had a great time in Somerset last year,” said Kelly. “It was a great atmosphere in a great ballpark with great fans. Hopefully we can have more success this year. I am happy to be part of such a good organization.”

Kelly enters his second season with the Somerset Patriots and second in the Atlantic League. The former Atlanta Braves reliever yielded just two runs over nine innings with three saves in his 10 relief appearances with the Patriots last year. His contract was purchased by the Seattle Mariners in mid-May, where he split time between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma for the rest of 2017. There, Kelly combined to post a 2.97 ERA with six saves and 32 strikeouts over 30.1 innings of relief.

The Bluffton, South Carolina resident appeared in 17 games in the big leagues with the Braves in 2015, striking out 10 batters over 16.2 innings of work. Kelly earned his 2015 promotion after he posted a 3-1 record with a 0.95 ERA and 13 saves in 24 appearances with Triple-A Gwinnett earlier that season. Additionally, Kelly began the 2015 campaign with Double-A Mississippi where he recorded nine saves and tossed 17.2 innings without allowing an earned run (0.00 ERA).

“Kelly got off to a hot start out of our pen last year and was rewarded by the Mariners organization,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “He has electric stuff and can fill many roles in the bullpen. Ryan is a guy that can get hot and be very difficult on opposing lineups. We have seen it with his numbers in the past and got a chance to see it in person with our team last year. We are happy to welcome Ryan back to our bullpen.”

Kelly began his professional career in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Kelly spent his first four seasons with the Pirates before he was traded three times during his fifth season, eventually landing with the San Diego Padres. There, he earned a promotion to Triple-A Tucson in both 2012 and 2013 after he posted a 4-1 record with a 2.66 ERA over 39 relief appearances with Double-A San Antonio in 2012.

The Walters State Community College alum owns a 24-23 record with a 3.80 ERA and 64 saves over 319 appearances (17 starts) over 10 seasons of service in minor league baseball.

The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, please visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

Back in 2011, Logan Kensing needed just nine games with the Bridgeport Bluefish to get picked up and, just two years later, return to the major leagues.

Now 35 years old and two seasons removed from his last stint in the big leagues, the veteran righty reliever finds himself at a different place in his career, having to once again go the independent baseball route, albeit this time with the Somerset Patriots.

“It’s not ideal, but it’s a great opportunity to still play and showcase that you can prove you should still be in the mix to get back out if somebody needs you and go from there. The more you play the game, the more you try to step away from the business side, just because it’s so brutal. It is what it is, but the Atlantic League is going to look real good this year with a lot of names in with the way a lot of these (veterans) keep getting released out of camp these last few days.”

Kensing is perhaps the first player the Patriots have signed where you can make a very legitimate case that the glut of free agents still available at the big league level has trickled down to affecting him.

In 2016, he posted a 1.93 ERA in three MLB appearances with the Tigers, and was 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA in 52 games with Triple-A Toledo. Last year? 3-3 with a 2.54 ERA in a whopping 66 relief outings with Toledo.

Durable, effective, recent experience at the top levels…Logan Kensing probably shouldn’t be here.

“It’s funny, because some years you’re like, ‘Man, I’m going to have to really work to get a job.’ But then there’s years where things go really well and you feel like it should buy you another opportunity to play the game,” he said.

“We got done last year, and I felt like I stood out and did what I wanted to. I was in a good place. But then I hadn’t heard anything around Thanksgiving. I usually don’t start to panic until right around the new year. It wasn’t just me though, you could see it across the board with other guys. You kind of have to bite the bullet, per se, and hope for the best. I still believe that I can play, and I feel like it’s going to take somebody to tell me that I’m not good enough or too old or nobody has a need for me anymore to quit, because I don’t think I would like to leave any ounce of opportunity on the table. I’m not ready to do that. This route, it’s not like it’s a shabby league. There’s guys that roll through it all the time. You still have to showcase your talent, and it’s easier to do that there than on a high school field in front of a scout.”

Kensing is hopeful that he can replicate his success of 2011, where just 16 days on the Bluefish roster before heading back to Triple-A with the Yankees organization.

“The only thing you can control is what you’re doing and your reactions to situations,” he said. “Yeah, I hope to go there and put up good numbers and get out of there as fast as I can, but if I don’t, then that’s fine. I’m also going there to, like I told Jon (Hunton), to play. If I’m healthy and still putting up numbers, I’m going to continue to play. If I’m not helping the team or I’m not healthy, there might be something else going on and I might not finish the year. As far as right now, this is the team I’m going to play for, and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.”

Kensing is a Texas native, and it would have seemed on paper that signing with the Sugar Land Skeeters would have been a far more logical fit. But, between the impression he got from having visited Somerset while with the Bluefish and knowing some players already signed to the Patriots roster, and coming to Bridgewater simply felt like a better fit.

“I played with Cory Riordan for a couple different organizations and then Dustin Molleken for the last few years,” Kensing said.

“Any time you can roll in and not be the new kid on the block, that helps you with sliding right in and getting with the flow of the team. Other than that, I was in Somerset for two games and I remember going there, and they just seemed like they had their stuff together. Fans came out, those guys looked like they were a step ahead of everybody in the Atlantic League. Knowing guys that had played there and in talking to them, they said that was the team you wanted to play for if you had the opportunity. I could have gone home and played for the Skeeters, but this was the team I chose. After talking to Jon and (Brett) Jodie, this was an easy fit.”

Kensing allowed just two earned runs in his 11.1 Atlantic League innings seven seasons ago, but doesn’t anticipate relying on that past experience to help him approach hitters now.

“Pitching in general, you just have to do your job,” he said. “If you’re not around the zone, then guys don’t have to swing. Guys at all levels want to swing, and you have to either work around the zone to the hitters weaknesses or go right after them with your strengths versus his strengths. I think that’s just simplifying the equation. I’m not a guy who’s going to light up the radar gun, I just have to trust my stuff and that it works, and if it’s not working I have to make a quick adjustment and find out how to get a guy out.”

How often will he be doing that? And in what role? That all remains to be seen, but expect to see him on the mound at TD Bank Ballpark quite a bit.

“I said I like to throw as much as I can,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be two or three innings every day, but I like to be out there at least every other day and get work in. I feel like that keeps you sharp and ready to go. But obviously, relievers get their work in for that first month as starters are building up. It’s a double-edged sword, you don’t want to throw too much or too little, you have to figure out where your groove is and fit in.”

(PR) Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have signed nine-year Major League veteran right-handed pitcher Logan Kensing for the 2018 season.

“I am excited to go into this season with an open mind in a great league,” said Kensing. “There are some really good things going on [in the Atlantic League]. I have always been struck by the passion of the players in the league. It is pure baseball at a professional level.”

Kensing enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and second in the Atlantic League. He has nine years of service at the Major League level, including five with the then-Florida Marlins and one with the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers, respectively. The former second round draft pick broke into the Majors in 2004 and made double digit appearances five different times.

The San Antonio, Texas native struck out 45 batters over 37.2 innings pitched with one save in 2006 with the Marlins. He also enjoyed a strong 2008 campaign in Florida with three wins, a 4.23 ERA and 55 strikeouts over 55.1 innings pitched. Kensing carried a 1.93 ERA over his most recent stint in the big leagues with Detroit (2016). Overall, the 6’1” righty has won 10 games with two saves over 157 games (three starts) in the Majors.

“We are proud to be joined by Logan this season,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “He will be a solid veteran presence on our staff and has been a model of consistency throughout his brilliant career. Logan can handle a variety of roles in our bullpen and we look forward to utilizing his versatility. One thing I know for sure is that he wants the ball and wants to help the team win, and we will be happy to give him that opportunity often.”

Kensing has pitched exclusively at either the MLB or Triple-A level in each of the past five seasons, including the last two with Triple-A Toledo (Detroit). Last year, he went 3-3 with a 2.54 ERA over 66 relief appearances. In fact, Kensing has not had an ERA higher than 3.58 in each of his last five seasons in Triple A. That also includes a 2.23 ERA over 19 appearances with Triple-A Tacoma (Seattle) in 2015. He owns a 3.29 ERA and 44 saves over 327 appearances (one start) at the Triple-A level.

The Texas A&M University alum briefly played with the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2011. There, Kensing carried a 1.59 ERA over nine appearances before his contract with purchased by the New York Yankees. He owns a 34-31 record with a 3.41 ERA and 45 saves over 14 seasons in minor league baseball.

The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, please visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

Zach Wilson was on his way to an MVP-caliber season with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

And then it all went horribly, horribly wrong.

Just two weeks after winning both the Home Run Derby and Atlantic League All-Star Game MVP honors at TD Bank Ballpark, the 27-year-old former Yankees farmhand was sidelined due to blood clot issues very similar to what Somerset Patriots infielder Scott Kelly endured several years ago.

“I’m feeling great, have been back to my normal routine since it all happened…back in the gym and getting all my baseball training in with no problems. Everything feels great,” Wilson told MyCentralJersey.com via e-mail.

“Scott reached out to me about when he had a similar situation so I picked his brain a little about what he did and how he felt about it all. Definitely put my mind at ease since it was all fresh and nothing like that has ever happened to me so it caught me off guard. It’s good to have guys like that around. I’m actually pretty thankful he reached out. As far as wondering if I was going to be able to play again, I wasn’t worried about that. I knew I was going to play again. I love the game to much to let anything keep me from it. Heck, I tried to convince everything to try to let me play at the end of last season.”

Wilson, who was in his third year with the Blue Crabs, and hitting .282 with 14 homers and 52 RBI at the time of the issue, ended up missing the rest of the season, but was able to take on a hitting coach role to remain with the club as he recovered.

“Sitting out and not being able to play was definitely a struggle,” he said. “I did everything I could to keep myself busy. I chose to stay around with the team and the guys just so I could be on a field everyday and not sitting at home. I’m thankful that they were ok with me sticking around to be with the team the rest of the year. Being able to be the hitting coach for the rest of the season was an experience but I enjoyed it. I’m not the loudest guy out there and am usually watching a lot of what goes on around me but coaching makes you see the game from a whole different side. You notice a lot that you wouldn’t notice as a player. I learned a lot from it in the short time I was a coach.”

Now, Wilson will see if he’s able to pick up where he left off, but with a new team. He’s signed with the defending Atlantic League Champion York Revolution for the 2018 season, and is hopeful he’ll be able to continue his consistent play.

“I feel like I’ll get right back into it like I normally would,” he said. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work this offseason to make sure I’m ready for this upcoming season. Just need to get back out there and get the ball rolling. I spent three years in Maryland and had a great time. They treated me very well and I couldn’t thank them enough for that. Their GM Courtney (Knichel,) the manager James Frisbee, front office and everyone else affiliated with the team were all awesome and did everything they could for me. It was a great three years. I just felt like I needed something new so I decided to explore my options and York ended up being the team I chose. I’m excited to get over there, meet the team and hopefully help get york to another championship.”

Yes, this’ll be the exact same format — and words — I’ve used in the past two installments of this…but now with a twist. At the end, let’s try to make a positional depth chart with where it would seem everyone signed so far will slot in on Opening Day, shall we?

Until then, however…let’s get to our regularly scheduled cut and paste fest with the last handful of names added at the bottom.

***

So far, the Somerset Patriots have unveiled the first 23 players on their 2018 roster.

Somerset should have between 30-32 players in camp this year if historical precedent is accurate, and have multiple players under contract — both new to the team and returning — who will be announced over the next few weeks leading up to the start of spring training.

But who’s official now? Let’s take a quick look for some Saturday night reading…

Kyle Roller — Do you like dingers? Big country strong sluggers who can hit the ball a mile? A guy who’s probably never been seen in the same room at the same time as Braun Strowman? Then you like Roller.

Roller hit .322 with 22 homers and 77 RBI in just 90 games last year, and put up a career best 1.020 OPS. Still just 29 years old, it will be interesting to see if the former Yankees and Rays farmhand will last the entire season…surely, teams in Mexico and perhaps elsewhere would be interested in his power, and he’s still young enough/has the experience at the upper levels of the minors where an organization looking for some pop wouldn’t be afraid to add him.

I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the level of production he had last year for 2018, simply because that’s very difficult for anyone to sustain, not that he isn’t capable of it. Regardless, having arguably the most feared power bat in the league in the middle of the lineup isn’t a bad thing.

Yovan Gonzalez — I don’t understand how he hasn’t been signed over the last two years. Good catching is hard to find, he’s still only 28 years old and is coming one of the best seasons of his career.

“Yovi” hit .291 with three homers and 31 RBI in 84 games last season for Somerset — expect a slightly larger workload this season — and threw out an impressive 26% of attempted basestealers last year.

Gonzalez could also take on an increased presence in the clubhouse with several of the more-longer tenured players with the club not expected to return in 2018.

Duane Below — The only time you really noticed Below last season was when he had that month or so where he really struggled to start out the second half…for the most part, he very quietly did his job under the radar out of the middle of the Patriots bullpen all year long.

The former major-leaguer went 5-1 with a 2.89 ERA in 46 appearances last season. He spoke about potentially starting at some point this year, but realistically will come into 2018 as one of at least two lefty relievers.

Cory Riordan — Somerset coveted Riordan in the Bluefish dispersal draft, and were fortunate he got to them with the 13th overall pick. The big, veteran righty was 7-3 with a 3.29 ERA in 14 starts for Bridgeport last season before leaving to pitch in Taiwan; he struck out 88 batters compared to just 11 walks in 93 innings of work.

Exactly where Riordan will slot into the rotation will likely be dictated more by who else is brought in than anything else, seeing how he can fit anywhere from one to five. As long as he stays on American soil, he’ll likely be a workhorse starter.

Aaron Dudley — If he’s able to replicate his performance in the Frontier League, the addition of Dudley will go down as one of the best, if not the best, of the offseason.

Somerset has long coveted Dudley, and were finally able to bring him over after entertaining the idea of doing so for last year’s postseason, an idea that was nixed after the former Marlins prospect was injured. He’s walked (246) more than he’s struck out (235) over the last 4 1/2 years with Normal, and hasn’t produced any less than ten homers and 64 RBI in a full season.

And, oh yeah, he can catch, too. Dudley will likely be the Patriots everyday first baseman, and perhaps trade that spot with Roller and DH when he needs a day off from the field.

Craig Massey — Talking to Massey reminded me a lot of the vibe you get when doing so with Scott Kelly…hard-working grinder who loves the game and has had to scratch and claw for everything he’s earned, is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.

He’s a versatile, high-average, high-on-base percentage, low-power guy who can play just about anywhere and most likely will for Somerset. As of now, I’d project him as a super utility player.

Trevor Foss — Somerset is hopeful that they’ve found that next hidden gem; the guy who can succeed for them with little or no experience at the top levels of the minors, like Rick Teasley and Matt Zielinski have in recent years.

Foss is 20-8 with a 2.84 ERA over the last two seasons with Washington in the Frontier League, and the righty will likely slot into the back of the Patriots rotation as of right now. However, keep in mind that Teasley didn’t even begin last year in the rotation at all and ended up as the All-Star Game starter, so…if he can seize the opportunity, there’s been precedent set that a player with his level of experience can quickly move up the ladder.

Randy McCurry — Could McCurry be this year’s closer? Sure. Will he be? That very much so remains to be seen.

He’s racked up 40 saves over the last two seasons with Evansville — yes, he’s another Frontier League import on this year’s team — and while he’s realistically the only player signed so far that could fit that ninth inning role, he also could be there when the dust settles. However, historically, even when he was the closer himself, Jon Hunton has brought in quite a few pitchers with closing experience on each year’s team.

If McCurry’s your guy in the ninth inning, he’ll certainly have earned it.

Rick Teasley — The one question surrounding Teasley is as obvious as it is simple: Can he do it again?

Since coming to indy ball in 2014, Teasley’s been good everywhere he’s been, but is it sustainable for another year? Can the guy who was a longshot to make the team and who started the year as a forgotten man in a long relief role return to the form he was in when he left the team, which was that of a top of the line starter? He’ll likely get every opportunity to do that, and has the best chance out of anyone on the “current” roster to take the ball on Opening Day.

Mike Antonini — Antonini is coming off a strong 2017 season, but one in which he was only used in shorter stints than other starters; of his nine starts, his longest was six innings (accomplished twice) and only three were five or more innings.

So, despite his success in that unique role, it makes some sense to transition him into the bullpen for the time being. Two questions for Antonini in 2018: How will he be used as a reliever and when will he make a seemingly inevitable return to the rotation?

Antonini last regularly came out of the bullpen in 2012 when he was in Triple-A as a member of the Dodgers system, when they were grooming him to be a lefty specialist in the big leagues. Could he be used that way again, or will he be used in the same way fellow southpaw Duane Below was last season…as a standard middle reliever.

Dustin Molleken — Molleken, as of right now, is probably the frontrunner to serve as the closer this year. He has the stuff, he has the mentality and he’s done it before in Somerset, albeit briefly.

The Canadian-born former big leaguer went 3-2 with a 4.18 ERA and three saves in 26 appearances for the Patriots last season, and also turned in two scoreless postseason outings.

Endy Chavez — This, for a lot of reasons, is the most intriguing Patriots signing that’s been made public to date. Chavez is 40 years old, and while his bat has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down, it’s going to happen. His defensive ability has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down, but that’s going to happen too.

The question is…when? What does Somerset get out of Chavez, who would seem to profile as a corner outfielder for the team…that all remains to be seen. One thing I can tell you, however, is that the options in the outfield for this club will be both good and plentiful. Stay tuned.

Justin Trapp — Surely, Trapp will succeed in whatever role he’s used in. But what role will that be, specifically defensively…will he return as an everyday second baseman, or will he shift to one of the corner outfield spots?

Regardless, there’s no reason to think Trapp won’t be in the lineup at all times somewhere, an opportunity he afforded himself by turning in a very strong last two months of the regular season after coming to the club as somewhat of a wild card following his release out of the Can-Am League.

Mike Fransoso — Fransoso would seem to be competing for a utility player type role on the Patriots, at least to start the season, and he brings plenty of speed and versatility to the table.

He’s played every position but catcher over his professional career, but has spent the last two years in Rockland playing primarily third base and shortstop, two spots where he’ll be blocked from a starting role by two players who have yet to be revealed on the roster. The .259 career hitter will likely need to hit his way into more consistent playing time.

Nate Roe — Roe will slot into Somerset’s bullpen…but where? Most likely, the personable Rutgers alum and Atlantic League All-Star will find a prominent role as a middle reliever, with his days as a starter now most likely behind him.

The 28-year-old righty’s numbers last year, while still good, were skewed by some poor starts. If he can find a consistent role in which he can showcase himself, he has a chance to earn his first opportunity with a major-league organization.

Scott Kelly — This seems like a make or break year for Kelly, who enters his fifth season in the Somerset organization, but doesn’t seem to have much of a clear path to a starting role.

The unfailingly pleasant and hard-working infielder is still just 26 years old, but played 116 and 101 games over the last two seasons, respectively. With both Massey and Fransoso on board looking to fill similar super utility roles, it will be interesting to see both where and how often he’s used early in the year.

Vince Molesky — Molesky comes to both the Patriots and the Atlantic League with a lot to prove, and no reason to think he can’t do just that.

The concerns are somewhat obvious — this will be the highest “level” he’s played at in just his fourth professional season, and his career W-L and ERA numbers don’t jump out at you — but his upside that’s been shown by leading the Frontier League in strikeouts in two consecutive seasons is hard to ignore. Currently, he likely slots in towards the back of the rotation, but will get every opportunity to show he belongs.

Alfredo Rodriguez — Rodriguez is now a proven commodity in Somerset, having earned the everyday shortstop gig with a solid 2017 season.

That year, however, was not a consistent one. If he can either put together a better year from beginning to end, or simply carry the momentum he had going into the end of last year into this one, there’s no reason to not expect similar production in 2018.

Justin Pacchioli — It would seem apparent that, at some point in the season, and most likely sooner rather than later, Pacchioli will find himself as one of the three starters in the outfield.

An unlikely Atlantic League All-Star last year, “Patch” began the year with an uphill battle just to make the team, but ended up being one of the Patriots bigger success stories; he ended up signing with the Boston Red Sox late in the year. But, after they parted ways late this off-season, Pacchioli will find himself in a fourth outfielder role until more playing time opens up.

Alfonso Reda — Reda is, make no mistake about it, set for a return to the bullpen catcher role this season. However, he earned the respect of the coaches and his teammates with his professionalism and work ethic last year, and it would seem likely that he’ll at least get another sprinkling of game action if the time is right.

Danny Dorn — Dorn is coming off of an abbreviated, poor season last year in Korea, but the 33-year-old former major-leaguer is a career .282 hitter who has produced double-digit home run season nearly every year of his career.

It would seem likely as of now that Dorn will slot in as the everyday left fielder, but he could also see some time at first base as well.

Alex Castellanos — Castellanos played in just 24 games last season due to injury — he tore his hamstring, and the Baltimore Orioles organization didn’t seem to have a spot for him upon his return — but is just two years removed from pushing for a big-league call-up in the Mets organization with a strong year at Triple-A.

Castellanos reached the majors in both 2012 and 2013 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is hoping to follow in the footsteps of good friend Chris Marrero, who went from Somerset back to the big leagues in the span of less than two years. Castellanos is expected to be the Patriots everyday third baseman.

Adam Weisenburger — Over the past two seasons, Yovan Gonzalez has played in 80 and 84 games, respectively. Whether or not that number grows in 2018 will likely be dictated by how well Weisenburger, who has appeared in just 13 games on North American soil over the last two seasons himself, performs.

After missing most of 2016 due to injury, the 29-year-old veteran backstop was released out of Triple-A early last season by the Milwaukee Brewers organization. However, like several Patriots alums before him, he played in Australia this winter and performed well; he hit .292 with six homers and 22 RBI in 34 games for Brisbane.

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PROJECTED OPENING DAY DEPTH CHART BY POSITION (These are just me thinking out loud, and are not meant to reflect how the team is viewing this)